Convertible bed-trunk.



No. 772,966. PATENTBD 001125, 1904. G. w. SHADE & P. s. KNAPP.

CONVERTIBLE BED TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.5. 1904.

no MODEL.

UNITED STATES,

Patented October 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. SHADE AND PAUL S. KNAPP, OF PITISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVERIIBLE BED-TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 772,966, dated October 25, 1904. Application filed February 5, 1904. Serial No. 192.195- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. SHADE and PAUL S. KNAPP, citizens of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible Bed-Trunks; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same. 7

This invention relates'in general to that class of devices which come under the head of baggage, and more particularly to con vertible bedtrunks'; and its object is to adapt a trunk to serve as a bed and as a vehicle for transportation of its contents. To this end the invention consists in the construction and combination of-parts forming a convertible bed-trunk, hereinafter more fully described, and particularly defined in the claims, reference being-had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I represents in side elevation a trunk mounted on its wheels according to our invention. Fig. II shows in side elevation the same trunk opened and arranged as a bed. Fig. III shows an end viewof the same serving as a bed, with its packing-chest stored away underneath the body portion, Fig. IV is a detail view of a portion of theunder side of the trunk inverted. Fig. V is a fragmentary view, partly in transverse vertical section at a pocket. showing the positions of the parts with the side closed up.

Numeral 5 represents the bottom of the trunk; 6, the ends hinged thereto at 7; 8, the vertical sides, each of which isjoined at the corner 9 with a half 10 of the top, forming therewith a single piece which is hinged to the bottom at 11 along the side edges thereis closed, as shown in of. When the trunk Fig. I, one portion of the top overlaps the other a little along the central line of their juncture to form a tight joint. Both the sides and the top portions are provided with flanges 12, which close upon the end portions 6 to hold them securely when the trunk is closed. When in service, the wheels 13 are mounted to revolve on axles 14, which are provided in pairs, the two axles of a pair being in line and fitted to reciprocatelongitu- V dinally in bearings 15, that depend from the bottom, one axle for each wheel. 16 is a latch hinged on a pivot-pin 17 to swing down between the two axles 1 1, at each end. of the trunk, to hold them in the wheels.

20 represents apocket projecting from the inner face of each side portion 8 just over the hole 41 in. the bottom when the sides'are closed up. By standing the trunk on end and retracting the axles 1 1 out of the wheels 13 the wheels will be left free tobe put back into the pockets 20, and when the trunk is in position to serve as a bed the wheels 13 will be down v in the pockets, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. II.

11 represents openings in the bottom 5 through which the hangers 21 depend and through which the wheels 13 project when the trunk is closed.

10 represents'a partition standing beside each hole 41 to keep the mattress from slipping over the holes.

By the side of each pocket is a hanger 21, adapted to receive the hub of the wheel when .the sides are closed to hold the wheels exactlyin position to receive the axles when they "are returned to position for service. These hangers 21 also prevent, the wheels from being-removed from their pockets and lost when not in service.

22 represents a mattress'of any usual construction, either of springs or as a stuffed tick. It is as long as the trunk and of a width to fit between the wheel-pockets when the trunk is closed. a j r 23 and 241represent thehead and-foot mattresses, adapted to rest on the ends of the trunk when it is opened out. To close the trunk,these end mattresses may first be packed on top of the main mattress 22. s

25 represents stay-bars, each pivoted at 26 to a stud fixed to the bottom portion 5 and fitted to telescope into a sleeve 27, which is fixed to the end portion. There are four of these stay-bars, one at each corner of the bottom, for the purpose of supporting the ends when opened out to nearly a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. II. When the ends are closed up, these bars slide up into the sleeves 27; but the act of opening the ends draws the bars out, so that they lie across the joint of the bottom and end, and resting on both bottom and end they support the ends.

28 represents the packing-chest, which is a mere box of suitable size to fit inside the v trunk on top of the mattresses when the trunk is closed. This is for the usual purposes of a trunk; but besides containing wearing-apparel it may also serve for storing bedelothes. WVhen the trunk is to be used as a bed, this chest may be slid under it, as shown in Fig.1 ll.

29 represents a roller mounted permanently to revolve on each axle l t to roll on the floor, so that the trunk may be easily moved without raising it to let the wheels 13 down.

30 and 31 represent the two arms of a handle hung to the corners of the trunk by eyeloops 32. One of these arms is provided with a hook 38 and the other with an eye 3a, so that the two may be hooked together to form a bail-like handle whereby the trunk may be drawn along when mounted on its wheels. These two arms also serve as braces to hold the two sides in a vertical position when the latter serve as legs, as in Fig. 111. For this purpose the free ends of these arms are hooked to an eye 35 in the body, the hook 33 being long enough to pass through both the eye 34; of the other arm and the eye 35, which depends from the trunk-body.

In service as a trunk the chest 28 is to be placed on top of the mattresses, and after packing whatever is desired to be carried in it the ends 6 and sides 8 are to be closed up to it and secured at the top by any common trunk-lock 36 and straps 37. Now if one end of the trunk be raised from the floor the wheels 13 at the end will drop down upon their hangers 21. Then the axles 14 may be pushed through the wheels and the latch 16 will drop between the axles and hold them in place.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. 1n convertible bed-trunks, a trunk-bottom, two end portions, hinged thereto, and two side portions hinged to the edges of the bottom; each side portion having a portion of the trunk-top rigidly secured thereto along the corner of their juncture substantially as described, whereby when opened the trunkbottom may serve as a bed, the said sides as legs therefor and the top portions as feet for the legs. t

2. In convertible bed-trunks, a bottom havingwheel-holes through it near its sides; ends and sides hinged to the bottom; pockets in the said sides in position to register with the said holes when the sides are closed; wheels in the pockets, free to project through the said holes, and axles mounted to reciprocate longitiulinally in bearings on the trunk-bot tom to engage the wheels when the latter thus project.

3. ln convertiblebed-trunks: atrunh-bmly; axles mounted in pairs to reci n'ocate longitudinally in bearings on the bottom ol lillUll'llllli; removable wheels for the axles and a latch pivoted to the bottom of the trunk to tail between the two axles ol each pair when extended.

4:. ln convertible bed-trunks, a bottom having wheel-holes through it near its sides: ends and sides hinged to the said bottom; wheels provided with hubs; pockets located in the trunk sides to receive the wheels and to register with the said holes in the bottom when the sides are closed, and hangers attached to the sides of the said pockets to engage the wheel-hubs.

5. ln convertible bed-trunks; a trunk-bottom; ends hinged thereto, and stay-bars tor the ends; each stay-bar being pivoted at one end to a stud lixed to the trunk-lmttom and extending across the joint between the bottom and end, and a sleeve upon the trunk end for the said stay-bar to telescope into.

(5. .ln convertible bed-trunks; a trunk-bottom, and sides hinged to the edges thereof to swing down and serve as legs; and two handle-arms having hook and eye ends, freely hung to the corners of the trunk; an eye midway the under side of the trunk near its end adapted to be engaged by the hook of the said handle-arms to hold them as ln'aces to the logs; the hook and eye ends ol the said arms adapting them to engage each other and term a bail for the purposes of a handle substantially as described.

in testimony whereof we allix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

(irEORLiE \Y. SHADE. PAUL S. .KNAPP.

\Vitnesses as to signature of George W. Shade:

ADAM \VnrrznL, Oscar. Haams. \Vitnesses as to signature of Paul S. Knapp:

HENRY H. 150mm, JOHN S. Ennn'r. 

